Festival Fair Day

Jul. 16, 2013

Jennifer Hommel, left, Candler Donahey, bottom right, and Carter Donahey, top right, play in the sand during last year's Festival Fair Day at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds. Kids and their parents enjoyed food, music, games, rides and more at the fairgrounds. / Jess Lanning/Eagle-Gazette

Learn to dance or juggle, climb a rock wall, ride a magical train, stomp bubble wrap, hang out with animals, create crafts, listen to music or play in 44 tons of sand, all day on Lancaster Festival Fair Day at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds.

Begun about a quarter century ago, Fair Day — this year on July 20 — offers a multitude of opportunities for children to interact with their parents, grandparents, and community, Fair Day co-chairwoman Kathy Kern Ross said.

Fair Day favorites, such as animals and music and many hands-on activities, will return, with several new activities and performers, such as The Shazzbots, Joe Moriarity, The Amazing Stilt Walkers, a rock climbing wall, a calliope, Usborne Books authors and more.

Moriarity, who headlined with Celtic Fire during the 2011 Festival concert, will dance a few of his solos from “Riverdance.” He and his wife, Yulia Lukyanova, a classically trained Russian ballerina, share their combined 25 years of stage performance with students, ages 4 to adult, in their Pickerington studio, The ML Dance Academy. Their young dancers will exhibit Irish step dancing, clogging, combo, jazz, tap and ballet.

The Shazzbots, formed in 2008, offer “real music for real kids,” said lead singer and acoustic guitarist “Captain Captain” Ian Hummel. They don’t play down to children.

“We give kids more credit than a lot of musicians in the kid’s music world,” Hummel said.

“As the day grew, we wanted kids to participate, to perform, to demonstrate what they have learned,” said Ross.

In expanding on the agriculture theme, Ross and committee members include many hands-on activities and performance opportunities for young talent. Piano students of Marge Seeley and Marie Murray will play during the photography contest judging. Area dance students will perform on the hour in the Cupola Barn. Musicians ages 8 to 17 will rock out on the open air stage at 12:15 p.m.

Marty Hayes, of X-perience Music/Studio One in Circleville, again will bring about 20 students and their keyboards, guitars, drums, mandolins and banjos to perform a dozen numbers on stage.

“(Fair Day offers) the reality of what our name says: on stage, overcoming fears, interacting with other musicians. It’s a good time,” Hayes said.

Festival Fair day will be from at 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with food available for purchase. Children are admitted free and parking is free. Golf cart shuttles will be provided from the parking lot to the grounds. Adult admission is $5.

Every year Fair Day benefits a local organization. This year it’s the Maywood Mission Food Pantry. People can donate a nonperishable food item and be entered in a drawing for a ticket to “American Idol” runner-up Crystal Bowersox’s concert July 27.

Fair Day attendance has grown tremendously, notes Ross. She expects 3,000 to 5,000 participants this year.